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* the glass factory. *
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&*^»-..... several centuries after it had last .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... belonged to us, we went on an outing to ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... the glass factory that bore our family ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. name. it had changed owners many times ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. since our ancestors death, and then .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. stood abandoned for a long while. ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... finally, the natural end station for ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... the buildings that survive: a museum, ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... and a gift shop. .....-»^*&
*^»-...... ......-»^*
^»-....... there's a long time since my family .......-»^
*^»-...... made anything. by many, we would be ......-»^*
&*^»-..... considered poor. .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... there are two main factory buildings, ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. domed things of several floors, made in ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. yellow brick. large but narrow windows, .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. reminescent of some cathedral. ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... custom-made glass, of course, large and ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... practical. on the eastern building, .....-»^*&
*^»-...... some are shattered. ......-»^*
^»-....... .......-»^
*^»-...... the other one is publicly open. there's ......-»^*
&*^»-..... a museum, with wax figures of my great .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... great great grandfather, or something. ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... various tools (or replicas) laid out on ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. glass of varying thickness. .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... ** ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... ** ** ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... »»»»»»» * * »»»»»»» .....-»^*&
*^»-...... ** ** ......-»^*
^»-....... ** .......-»^
*^»-...... ......-»^*
&*^»-..... i quickly sneak out, and climb into the .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... other building. the contrast is ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... overwhelming. it must have stood ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. derelict for a long time, windows ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. broken, metallic trash and pools of .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. dark glass all over the floor. no ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... electric lights, but i can see by the ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... light that shines in wherever the dark ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... windows are missing a pane. .....-»^*&
*^»-...... ......-»^*
^»-....... however, the greatest difference is the .......-»^
*^»-...... higher floors: this building has none. ......-»^*
&*^»-..... it is one massive hall, stretching away .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... infinitely above me. somewhere up there ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... is some great iron latticework, from ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. where chains are suspended, and parts ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. of machinery has been falling down. .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... there is, in the middle of the great ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... hall, a thin spiral staircase that ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... leads up there. i sneak over there, and .....-»^*&
*^»-...... take a few reluctant steps. after just ......-»^*
^»-....... a revolution, i notice that for each .......-»^
*^»-...... step the building starts to glow, the ......-»^*
&*^»-..... bricks turning a dark red, and then .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... orange, all the piled up debree being ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... lit from behind. ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. i stop ready to run down and out, but .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. there's someone else on the staircase ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... with me now, pressed close. he's ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... looking like me, short hair and thin ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... arms, but with ears from some animal, .....-»^*&
*^»-...... and more disturbingly, completely made ......-»^*
^»-....... of dark liquid glass. .......-»^
*^»-...... ......-»^*
&*^»-..... ** .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... ** ** ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... »»»»»»» * * »»»»»»» ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. ** ** ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. ** .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... my fear holds me in place while he ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... starts operating levers and dials set ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... in the center of the staircase. slowly, .....-»^*&
*^»-...... it starts spinning, circling upwards. ......-»^*
^»-....... it's an elevator! i start to run .......-»^
*^»-...... downwards, but now the liquid boy ......-»^*
&*^»-..... creature grabs hold of me. i try to .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... shake him off, but he's too strong, and ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... pulls me back up beside him. ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. this time, i turn angry instead. what .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. the hell? who is this guy, acting like ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... this? i reach out my free arm and slam ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... a random lever. some metal bar is ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... suddenly released between us, hitting .....-»^*&
*^»-...... him on the arm, forcing my release. i ......-»^*
^»-....... shove him off of me, and he falls into .......-»^
*^»-...... the levers, messing them up. ......-»^*
&*^»-..... immediately, a thin rusty chainmail .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... curtain is dropped around me. but the ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... elevator also speeds up significantly. ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. the walls are flaring now, yellow, .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. white, almost blue. i close my eyes and ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... curl into a ball. but then, the glass ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... boy screams, a piercing sound that ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... forces my eyes back open. i watch as he .....-»^*&
*^»-...... becomes too liquid, his body pooling ......-»^*
^»-....... down in his now massive tail, and the .......-»^
*^»-...... tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass ......-»^*
&*^»-..... drop that falls toward the factory .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... floor. ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. he's crawling on the stairs, unable to ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. keep his body upright. can't reach the .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... while his body is turning into dark ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... pearls. finally, he's lost too much of ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... himself and the scream is cut short. .....-»^*&
*^»-...... the last of him rains down. ......-»^*
^»-....... .......-»^
*^»-...... i still can't reach the levers from ......-»^*
&*^»-..... within my cage. looking up, i try to .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... make out the ceiling, but it's all a ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... whirling sea of colours. below me glows ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. the hellfire of the factory walls, but ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. very faint. i sit down, curl back up, .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. become still. ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... ** ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... ** ** .....-»^*&
*^»-...... »»»»»»» * * »»»»»»» ......-»^*
^»-....... ** ** .......-»^
*^»-...... ** ......-»^*
&*^»-..... .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... a large clunk shakes my entire body, ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... and snaps me back into reality. i'm ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. back at the factory floor, but the ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. stairs are still moving slightly, .-»^*&§###
##§&*^»-.. clicking in place, carrying me the last ..-»^*&§##
#§&*^»-... few centimeters. i came from below, ...-»^*&§#
§&*^»-.... somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ....-»^*&§
&*^»-..... and i slowly dismount the stairs. .....-»^*&
*^»-...... ......-»^*
^»-....... shaking and crying, i make my way over .......-»^
*^»-...... the factory floor, wading through dark ......-»^*
&*^»-..... glass marbles. a quick glance down, and .....-»^*&
§&*^»-.... i see there's something faint inside ....-»^*&§
#§&*^»-... them. embryos? are these eggs? ...-»^*&§#
##§&*^»-.. ..-»^*&§##
###§&*^»-. i shudder, and climb back out. .-»^*&§###
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